Wrench.



E. E. RHOADS.

WRENCH.

APPLICATION HLED MAY13. I915.

Patented July 13, 1915.

EERHoHUs ELMER E. RHOADS, OF EDDYVILLE, IOWA;

WRENCH.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 13, 1915.

AppIication filed May 13, 1915. Serial No. 27,857.

To aZZ whom it may concern Be it known that I, ELMER E. RHoADs, a citizen of the United States, residing at Eddyville, in the county of Wapello and State of Iowa, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in WVrenches, of which the following is a specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawing.

This invention comprehends certain new and useful improvements in wrenches, and relate particularly to a wrench of the quickacting type.

The invention has for its primary object a durable and efficient construction of device of this kind, the parts of which are so constructed and arranged that they may be very easily manufactured and readily as sembled and not liable to get out of order, and whereby the movable jaw -may be quickly adjusted toward and away from the relatively stationary or fixed jaw to engage or release the nut, pipe, or other work. And the invention also aims to generally improve devices of this class so as to render them more useful and commercially desirable.

With these and other objects in View, as will more fully appear as the description proceeds, the invention consists in certain constructions, arrangements and combinations of the parts that I shall hereinafter more fully describe and claim.

For a full understanding of the invention, reference is to be had to the following description and accompanying drawing, in which- Figure 1 is a side elevation of a wrench constructed in accordance with my invention, )ZlYtS being broken away. Fig. 2 is a top edge view thereof, with parts in section. Fig. 3 is a transverse sectional view on the line 33 of Fig. 2. Fig. 4c is a similar view on the line 44 of Fig.2. Fig. 5 is a detail view of a collar employed, and hereinafter more specifically referred to.

Corresponding and like parts are referred to in the following description and designated in all of the views of the accompanying drawing by like reference characters.

Referring to the drawing, the numeral 1 designates the shank of my improved wrench, said shank being provided at one end with a handle 2 of any desired construction or design and being provided at its other end with the relatively stationary or fixed jaw 8, the same being formed integral with the shank in the present embodiment I of the invention, although it is to be understood that the invention is not limited in this regard.

4t designates the movable jaw which is mounted to slide upon the shank 1 and which, in the present instance, is provided with a, work engaging block 5 pivotally mounted in a recess 6 formed in said jaw and pressed upon by a spring 7 whereby the wrench may serve effectively as a pipe wrench and having a ratchet action on the pipe, rod or the like, the work engaging faces being toothed. and concave, for this purpose, as clearly illustrated in the drawing. It is to be understood, however, that my invention is not limited to the use of the Work engaging block 5 or to the feature of curving and serrating the work engaging faces, for it is within the purview of my invention to make the faces straight and without teeth whereby the invention may be easily embodied in a wrench for use in connection with nuts and similar work.

The shank 1 is provided with two flat opposite faces 8 and toothed opposite edges 9, the teeth of said edges being designed for engagement by the interior screw threads 10 that are formed on a nut 11, said screw threads being interrupted at substantially diametrically opposite points to form smooth surfaces 12, for a purpose hereinafter more specifically set forth. The nut 11 is mounted upon the threaded extensions 13 of a collar 14, said collar being formed with an ob long opening whereby it is mounted to slide freely uponthe shank 1, the threads of the extensions 13 being designed to register with the teeth of the edges 9 and said extensions being fiat on their opposing surfaces for engagement with the fiat faces of the shank.

The collar 14 is integrally or otherwise connected to, or provided with, a latch bar 15 which is mounted for longitudinal movement in a recess 16 formed in one flat face 8 of the shank 1, said latch bar being formed on its outer side with a series of preferably beveled teeth 17 designed for engagement by a spring pressed pawl 18 carried by the handle 2 and provided with a finger piece 19 whereby it may be disengaged from the teeth of the latch bar 15 to permit the latter, with the collar 14, to slide freely upon the shank 1.

From the foregoing description in connection with the accompanying drawing, the

operation and practical advantages of my improved wrench will be apparent. In the practical use of the device, the nut 11 is turned until the arrow or some other indicating sign is in registry with an arrow or the like on the movable jaw l, at which time the smooth surfaces 12 of the nut will be in registry with the teeth on the edges 9 of shank l, whereupon if the pawl 18 is held out of engagement with the latch bar 15 the collar 14 may be easily moved toward the handle so as to permit the movable jaw to be slid away from the stationary or fixed jaw. With the parts in this position, the movable jaw, as is evident, can be readily moved toward the stationary jaw owing to the bevel formation of the teeth 17 of the latch bar, whereby the jaws may be securely held in engagement with the pipe, rod or other work, the parts being fixed in this position by turning the nut 11 so that its screw threads 10 will engage the toothed edges of the shank 1.

It will thus be seen that I have provided a very simple, durable, and eiiicient construction of wrench of the quick-acting type that can be very expeditiously manipulated to en-- gage the work and as readily released therefrom.

While the accompanying drawing illustrates what I believe to be the preferred embodiment of my invention, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited thereto, but that various changes may be made in the construction, arrangements and proportions of the parts without departing from the scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

l'Vhat is claimed, is:

1. A wrench of the character described, comprising a shank, a stationary aw carried by the shank, a movable jaw mounted to slide on the shank, a collar slidingly mounted on the shank and designed to move the movable jaw toward the stationary jaw, the shank being provided with toothed edges, and the collar being formed with extensions on opposite sides of the shank, and a nut provided with interrupted screw threads designed to engage the said extensions and being mounted thereon, the nut being also designed to be turned with its threads into engagement with the teeth of the shank so as to hold the collar fixed on the shank.

2. A wrench of the character described, comprising a shank formed with toothed edges, a stationary jaw carried by theshank, a movable jaw mounted to slide on said shank, a collar slidingly mounted on the shank and formed with extensions engaging the opposite faces of the shank, said extensions being threaded, a nut having an interrupted thread engageable with the screw threads on the said extensions, and also engageable with the toothed edges of the shank, for the purpose specified, and means independent of the nut for holding the collar stationary on the shank.

3. A wrench of the character described, comprising a shank formed with toothed edges, a stationary jaw carried by the shank, a movable jaw mounted to slide on said shank, a collar slidingly mount-ed 011 the shank and formed with extensions engaging the opposite faces of the shank, said extensions being threaded, a nut having an interrupted thread engageable with the screw threads of the said extensions and also engageable with the toothed edges of the shank, a latch bar carried by said collar, and a pawl engageable with said latch bar, for the purpose specified.

l. A wrench comprising a shank formed with toothed edges, a stationary jaw carried by the shank, a movable jaw mounted to slide on said shank, a collar slidingly mounted on the shank and provided with threaded extensions, a nut mounted on said extensions and provided with an interrupted screw thread engageable with the threads of the extensions and with the toothed of the shank, the shank being formed in one face with a longitudinally disposed recess, a handle carried by the shank, a latch bar carried by the collar and movable in said recess, and a spring pressed pawl carried by the handle and engageable with the latch bar.

In testimony whereof I hereunto ailix my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

ELMER E. RHOAi S.

WVitnesses: K

E. S. GENTZ, J. S. CAnHAR'r'r.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. 0. 

